


Sacrifice

by EternallyEC



Category: Victorious (TV)
Genre: Angst and Feels, F/F, Jori - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-08
Updated: 2020-05-08
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:28:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,698
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24072193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EternallyEC/pseuds/EternallyEC
Summary: Based on this prompt: Jade making a deal to Tori's life at the cost of all their memories together.
Relationships: Tori Vega/Jade West
Comments: 2
Kudos: 44





	Sacrifice

**Author's Note:**

> I really didn't know how to tag this, so I hope I did okay! This was based on a prompt and how many different emotions a certain episode of Angel can make me feel years later. Please let me know what you think!

Jade had never thought she'd be in this position. Hell, for all her talk of death and the afterlife, she wasn’t even sure she believed in it at all. But here she was, standing in front of Death Himself and a scene worse than any horror movie she’d ever seen. 

"You can save your lover's life," Death was explaining, his voice inhuman but what Jade thought might have been kind as he gestured towards Tori's broken body lying on the ground between them. "The two of you weren't meant to be together for a few more cycles, I'm afraid, and we couldn’t allow you to continue.”

"What kind of bullshit is that?" Jade tried to growl, the words coming out a whisper instead. It’s impossible for her to think or even breathe, her eyes locked on Tori’s lifeless body lying at her feet. 

"It's about balance, Jade. Your souls will find each other again when the time is right, but it won’t be in this lifetime. Your time is growing short now, I’m afraid. You must choose: you can keep your memories or choose to save her life, a life without you in it, but you can only choose one. It’s the only way." 

Jade bit her lip, staring down at Tori as four years of memories flashed through her head. From the first time she'd seen her rubbing at Beck's shirt to when she'd pushed her up against the vending machine and kissed her at her stupid prome; from their first date to the one they'd been returning home from tonight, she saw them all and she couldn't imagine losing a single one. 

But then she tried to imagine the world without Tori in it. Tori, with her bright smile and eagerness to help anyone she came across, gone forever and it being all her fault. She'd been the one to miss the red light, smiling over at her girlfriend, and she'd be the one choosing to let her die so that she could keep her memories, the only memories she had of what true happiness felt like.

As selfish as Jade West could be, she knew that there was only one choice she could make. 

"Have you made up your mind?" Death asked quietly, and she sucked in a deep breath, unsurprised that he’d noticed. 

"Yes." Her voice was barely a whisper and yet it echoed loudly through her mind, reverberating through the empty air with all of the weight it carried.

Death nodded. "I'll give you five minutes to say goodbye."

He disappeared and suddenly, Tori was standing before her. Jade immediately pulled her into her arms, crying despite herself when she felt how warm and soft and  _ alive  _ she was. For a precious few seconds, she was almost able to forget how everything had gone wrong in a matter of seconds. 

She was almost able to forget the clock ticking away every precious second she had left.

"Jade? What's wrong?" Tori asked, bringing her back to reality as she returned her embrace just as tightly. "What happened? The last thing I remember is leaving the restaurant…” Her voice was small and worried and Jade immediately loosened her grip at the sound of it.

“Hey,” she whispered, pulling back just enough to kiss her softly. “Don’t worry about it, Tori. Just be with me, okay?”

Tori’s eyes questioned her for just seconds before she nodded, giving her a weak but genuine smile. Filled with new pain as she tried to imagine her life without that smile in it, she leaned forward to kiss her with all of the love that was eating her up inside. "Just be with me, okay?"

"Jade..." Tori’s voice was hesitant, her hands slipping underneath Jade’s shirt to splay soothingly across her back the way she did whenever Jade was anxious. The touch was both welcome but painful and Jade swallowed.

"Please, Tori," she begged, and that was enough to keep Tori from saying anything more. Jade didn’t beg and it was more than enough to convince her that she should listen. 

"Okay,” she said softly, leaning into her embrace again. 

The next few moments were silent; Jade doesn’t think that she could speak if she wanted to and god, she wants to. She wants nothing more than to tell Tori everything that she’s never had the courage to say before, but the words stick in her throat and she settles for attempting to  _ show  _ her instead. 

Tori followed her lead, remaining quiet as they shared a warm embrace and shared a multitude of kisses ranging from soft to passionate and that all said more than words ever could.

Suddenly, Death reappeared and Jade felt the agony grip her heart again at the sight of him. Somehow, she’d managed to almost forget the ticking of their clock and now their time was up and it wasn’t enough, she would  _ never  _ have enough time with Tori.

Jade suddenly tensed in Tori’s arms and she turned her head, swallowing hard at the sight of the mysterious tall, hooded figure who seemed to be watching them. Her blood felt like ice in her veins, frozen and hardly flowing as she stared at him, clinging to Jade more tightly. “Jade?” she whispered, her voice thick with fear.

"Please, no. No, it's not enough time," Jade pleaded, pushing Tori behind her while keeping a tight grip on her hand, refusing to let her go. Tears streamed down her face, her heart ripping apart in her chest and she can’t do this; she’d been stupid to think that she could ever say goodbye to Tori…

“Say goodbye,” Death said; the words were simple but there was a finality in his voice that defied any argument. Jade knew that she’d pressed his patience too much already and that if she didn’t say goodbye now, she’d never have the chance. 

With a deep breath, she tried to shove her emotions down and turned to face Tori. Her eyes were filled with confusion and fear as they met Jade’s but it receded once they had in favor of a softness reserved only for Jade and suddenly her resolve faltered.

How does someone say goodbye to the only woman they’ve only loved, the only woman who’s given them a taste of what true happiness feels like? The woman who was staring between her and Death in utter confusion, tears streaming down her face that she’d give anything to take away.

But it was at that moment that it clicked for her. As much as she wanted to rebel against what was about to happen, she knew that it would only make things harder for Tori. And, no matter how selfish Jade West could be, she would be the most selfless person in the world when it came to Tori Vega, no matter the cost to herself. 

And so she made a final haunting decision, reaching out to pull Tori into her arms again. Studying her face desperately, committing every detail to memory despite the futility of it, she whispered, “Close your eyes.

Trusting to the end, and  _ god _ , did it pain Jade to think about that, Tori obeyed and Jade kissed her once more. 

She poured everything into that kiss: the years of pining and longing for Tori’s love, the joy of finally receiving it and accepting that it was real, the happiness they’d shared and every single bit of the love she held for the woman who’d changed her life.

_ There’s not enough time, there’s not enough time, not enough time…  _

The words looped through her brain as her lips moved desperately against Tori’s, knowing that she’d break as soon as the kiss did. Tori’s hands are in her hair and Jade is trying as hard as she can to ignore the pressing weight of their rapidly dwindling time until suddenly, everything comes to a halt and a sudden, pressing silence with a single whisper. 

_ “Enough.” _

Suddenly a brilliant white light enveloped them and Jade whispered,  _ “ _ I’ll never forget,” as she felt Tori disappear from her arms. The sudden empty coldness of the air she was clutching was enough to crush her, a strangled gasp escaping her lungs at the overwhelming pain at the sensation. But then it was gone too and she’s falling, falling...

~ ~ ~

It was almost noon and a very disgruntled Jade had no idea why she was already awake or why she kept feeling like something was missing. It almost felt like what she’d read about amputees experiencing with phantom limbs; like she’d had some part of her sliced off and now the pain of the nonexistent part was tormenting her. 

She smirked at the graphic imagery and decided to get up, trudging into the kitchen and beginning her daily routine. First, she brewed a pot of coffee and poured herself a cup, splashing two sugars into it before heading into the living room to watch a bit of TV.

Although her life felt the same as ever, Jade just couldn’t shake the uncomfortable feeling that something was missing, something she should remember but can’t quite seem to.

The feeling suddenly subsided as she was flipping through the channels and came across a music video featuring a beautiful brunette with caramel skin and familiar-seeming dark eyes. 

But it was her voice that caught Jade’s attention, making her frown slightly. She’d almost swear that she had heard it somewhere before and she felt an odd peacefulness at the sound of it. But she brushed the odd sensation of deja vu off, assuming she’d heard the singer on the radio or something as she set the remote to the side. 

She’s good, she thought as she kept watching, her eyes glued to the screen and the phantom sensation fading bit by bit as she became more enraptured. A good voice  _ and  _ good looks, she smirked as she watched, hardly noticing when the sense of  _ missing  _ something immediately returned when the video was over.

Switching to another channel, Jade quickly forgot about the gorgeous young singer as she lost herself in watching  _ The Scissoring _ , gradually growing used to the slight tingle of loss until she could hardly discern it anymore. 


End file.
